PRESS

INTERVIEW

Florence Lemoine, the poetry of nature

Glass artist Florence Lemoine specializes in the creation of decorative objects, in particular lighting fixtures inspired by the forms of nature. Meet a designer whose dreams take shape in an intimate dialogue with matter.

What is it about glass that attracts and fascinates you?

I'm fascinated by its infinite possibilities. It's quite dizzying. You have to find a guiding line. I love working with molten material, the creative process even more than the end result. It's like going toe-to-toe with the material, something eminently physical. Going to the studio every morning is a real treat. I love glass for its plastic qualities and its capacity for transformation. You can play with transparency and opacity, textural effects that can create the illusion that objects are made of another material - stone, for example.

You trained at the CERFAV (Centre européen de Recherches et de Formation aux Arts verriers) in Vannes-le-Châtel, home to the Daum factory, among others. Was it then that you decided to devote yourself to glass applied to decoration, rather than to purely utilitarian objects?

I think I've always wanted to create decorative objects, but first I did a bit of trial and error. At CERFAV, I learned how to work with materials and techniques. I began to discover and tame the possibilities. But I still didn't know exactly what I could do with it. As part of my training, I had the opportunity to meet glassmakers. After graduating in 2003, I worked in a number of different workshops and took up a residency at the Musée-Centre d'Art du Verre in Carmaux, in the Tarn region of France. I then worked for Fernando Agostino - a great technician - and Martine Durand Gasselin in Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes, near Saint-Malo. I completed my training with various internships abroad, in Sweden, England..

You create objects, vases and lamps in blown glass, inspired by the forms of nature. How does reality enter your imagination?

My main source of inspiration is what I see. I'm fascinated by the wonders of nature, plants, flowers and water. There are also things of a sensory nature, emotions and sensations - those of rain or wind, for example - that I try to translate into glass. I'm inspired by the visible and the invisible, the tangible and the elusive. I'm in touch with the material, I let it speak. I listen to it. This helps me give my objects a certain grace. Working with glass is all about dialogue. And very often, it's the material that guides me.

In a previous interview, you spoke of "doing and letting do". What part does chance play in your creative process?

Before I embark on the production of a piece, I make a few drawings and technical tests. To see how the material reacts, and above all, what I'm capable of doing with it. What looks good on paper can sometimes turn out disappointing. It's the dialogue with the glass that creates the shape. I look for the unexpected, and mistakes and accidents can sometimes lead to pleasant surprises. My collection of crackled glass luminaires, for example, was born out of this.

Do you work on the principle of collections?

Yes, with small series. But since we're talking about craftsmanship, in the end, every object is different. More and more, I want to move towards one-off pieces. I also want to move towards pure artistry, going beyond the decorative dimension. I dream of more sculptural, more voluminous creations. But that takes a lot of time. I also want to develop collaborations. I've already worked with other craftsmen, and for visual artists. I share my workshop with a basket maker (Tressage pas sage). Together, we designed a collection of lighting fixtures called "Vannerie verre". I love the idea of combining our respective skills and materials.

You have some twenty years' experience and a growing clientele. How does a glass artisan make a name for himself?

It's a problem faced by all craftsmen. We work in a rather solitary way, sometimes isolated geographically. I'm a glassblower, but I also take care of the administrative side of things, accounting, sending in applications for exhibitions or competitions... Things happen by chance. One event leads to another. When I left CERFAV, I started by making vases, which I sold at markets. Then I presented objects at fairs and small gallery exhibitions. Little by little, I progressed and oriented my production towards something more my own.

In 2017, you won the regional (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) Ateliers d'art de France competition in the Creation category, for a luminaire named Affinités, inspired by marine fauna. What did this award mean to you?

Great recognition. There were articles in the press, and my work was put in the spotlight like never before. It aroused curiosity and generated sales. I've been able to take part in increasingly prestigious exhibitions. In 2020, my participation in the Maison & Objet show enabled me to reach a new level, to move upmarket and reach a different clientele. Glass is a material that comes at a price, between the cost of energy and the number of hours spent on each piece. I've also been able to meet interior designers and decorators who now offer my creations to their customers.

You began your career in the early 2000s. Do you feel that the public's view of glass has changed?

I think it's more recognized as an art form. We're living in a time when the public seems to me to be more sensitive and receptive to the work of the hand, expecting beautiful things. But in France, we're still a long way from other countries like the United States, where there are glassblowers' workshops everywhere. In our country, specialized art galleries are still rare. There's a lot of work to be done to gain international recognition for French glass artists. In some minds, glass is still essentially associated with the utilitarian. But things are changing. The new generation of glassmakers proves it. Someone like Jeremy Maxell Wintrebert (JMW Studio), for example, has brought a real wind of modernity. This vitality of the young artistic scene makes me want to continue to contribute to renewing the image of glass.

Interview by Guillaume Morel